Is Hardwood Always Harder Than Softwood

Softwood is usually less dense and more resinous burns faster and produces less heat than hardwood.

Is hardwood always harder than softwood.

Some are much denser than others making them better suited to different applications. Wood is categorized as either softwood or hardwood based on physical structure and makeup. Hardwood is wood from deciduous trees and broad leaf evergreen trees. Naturally grown and harvested wood is classified as either hardwood or softwood.

Upon hearing these terms you may assume that hardwood is literally harder and stronger than its softwood counterpart but this isn t necessarily true. When you use wood in your wood stove you get the results nature made. Generally though softwoods are cheaper and easier to work with than hardwoods. For instance yew wood is classified as a softwood but is considerably tougher than certain hardwoods.

Are there any negatives to hardwood. The dense wood takes longer to season or dry out typically between 1 2 years and it s harder to light compared to softwood. Softwood is good for starting fires and making kindling. That is hardwood isn t necessarily denser than softwood.

The pelletizing process gives manufacturers precise control over the composition of wood pellets. The manufacturer and the region the wood is being procured from has more to do with pellet quality than whether it is a hardwood or softwood pellet. The differences in the hardness of the wood can be quite varied for both hardwood and softwood. You can also expect to pay more for hardwood compared to the same amount of softwood.

Likewise yew is a hard softwood. Some softwoods are actually harder than hardwoods. Likewise balsa wood is classified as a hardwood and yet it s one of the least dense and softest types of wood. In most cases hardwood tends to be harder than softwood but not always.

For example a low quality hardwood is actually softer and less dense than a good quality softwood. Hardwood is contrasted to softwood which comes from conifers cone bearing seed plants. Uses of hardwood vs softwood. Not all hardwoods are equal.

All hardwoods are angiosperms flowering plants the largest group of land plants. For example hard maple is extremely hard hence the name and is often chosen for uses like flooring because it can withstand the pressures it will undergo. Hardwood trees are more varied than softwoods and there are about. Softwood produces more flames and sometimes more intense heat than hardwood but over a shorter period of time.

Similarly wood from the yew tree which is one of the toughest woods and is harder than most types of oak is classified as softwood. Hardwoods are not always harder than softwoods balsa wood being an example of this. For example balsa wood is known as one of the softest and least dense types of wood yet it is categorized as hardwood.